Sometimes life puts you in the front seat of an emotional roller coaster and in that moment you can choose to scream or have fun and enjoy the ride. Life - or rather the aspects of life for which it feels like you have no control - can twist and turn upside down, leaving you discombobulated so that nothing makes sense and the only thing you do know for sure is that life is changing BIG time. Taking a cue from the martial arts form Jujitsu, there is an art to responding to and shifting emotional energy in and through your life. In this week's Sun-day design I want you to practice emotions jujitsu gaining strength from the huge surges of energy that can accelerate or block your next big move in life. In Jujitsu training and its sister martial art forms - Akido and Hapkido, power is gained in flexibility, endurance, and "ki", mental training. The use of whole-body movement is also accessed through yoga, Pilates, qigong, and tai-chi to name a few. And while I by no means claim to be a yogi or martial arts expert, I know and have seen the ways in which these practices enhance and empower real lives - myself, my son, and my clients...when they stay on top of their life commitments. As you prepare for life's inevitable emotional roller coaster ride, select the jujitsu move you need to practice most. Pick one day and practice one move. If you choose to practice flexibility choose a day where you say YES to every request that comes your away. Of course if that request puts you at risk or in danger then be smart and say no. Anything else is fair game and will help you practice managing your emotions in the moment. If you choose endurance then choose to push yourself physically. Go for a 5k run, commit to 500 push ups, or show up for that fitness class you purchased a Groupon for months ago. Should you choose to build your "ki" then take on a new course. There are tons of one hour, few hours, full day courses for adults who want to learn, grow and master new professional skills. Practicing emotions jujitsu will help you build the skills you need to navigate any emotionally havoc period in your. And remember the emotional journey you experience can be challenging, exciting, fearful and fun all at the same time. Emotions can run high during difficult times and also when good things come into your life. When you accept a new job, come into an unexpected inheritance, propose to your partner or give birth to your baby or business. Leave a post and share your jujitsu move for the week. Imagine this, you're working away in the zone, loving what you do and the people you're doing it with. You're cranking, pushing, excelling and boy does it feel good. Hours in the day fly by without your noticing because you love this moment right here, right now. When you come up for air you can't believe how much you've done and energized you feel. How often do you experience a day like this? Not often enough and it's because you spend most of time focused on other people. Whether you work at home, in an office, on a stage, or on the street your day is very likely to be spent fulfilling someone else's agenda. Even entrepreneurs find their workday is about meeting other people’s needs, their ridiculous requests and seemingly selfish demands. When you're finally able to work on your own goals and personal projects it can be difficult to get into a rhythm because your energy is zapped and there's nothing left for you. This week's Sun-day design is about finding your flow, creating the optimal time and space to work at your peak on something that's all about you. To find your flow you have to create the space for positive energy to move in and around your life. That means you have to clear your clutter! I don't just mean the clutter of papers in your office or clothes piled up around your house, it's about clearing the blockage in your visual, mental, and physical space. Start with your visual blocks, where do you usually work? Remove - dare I say the people and the things you don’t need around, then infuse your space with visual images of whatever inspires you. For me it’s a picture of my son, the latest books I’m reading, the weekend newspaper, and a journal. You can clear your physical space in just 5 minutes. Having a clear visual space may not immediately get you in the zone if your mind is distracted too. That means you have to clear you head of negative, disabling thoughts and beliefs. You can do this by asking yourself one question - “what do I gain by not working on this?" For example, if I put off on writing my book I can avoid sharing my work with others and having them critique my work. Once you figure out why you're avoiding your work you can face your fears and move on. Sometimes even after you create a visual space that inspires, clear your mental blocks and still you'll find the creativity just doesn't flow. This means your physical plane is blocked too and you’ll need to literally move so the energy in your body can budget too. A good 10-minute stretch, jumping jacks, walk on the park, or vinyasa “flow” yoga can do the trick. The challenge for you this week is to design the day and time you're going to work on you and your priorities. Get clear on what you want to do and why you've been avoiding it. Clear the clutter in your visual, mental, and physical space so that you find and embrace your flow. Leave a comment below and share what gets you in the zone too. |
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Lessons LearnedThe life we experience is designed to help us grow. My wish is that you learn from me as much as I learn from you. Share your life lessons and let's build together. Archives
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